show a wide range of creativity. Until the end of the 19th century, it is estimated that thousands of hand-painted votive paintings were produced by workshops, with a number in highly embossed and decorated tin frames. At the end of the 19th century, votive paintings, especially of the static type fell out of favor with the arrival of cheater chromolithographs from France and Germany. The narrative type has survived into the 20th century due to its personal nature. There has been some evolution in the folk art. Paintings to commemorate a special event or address a concern in an individual's life have begun to appear. Votive paintings created to petition often relate to money, health and general welfare. However, the majority still depict the salvation from a dangerous event or illness/injury, and votive paintings exist depicting the 1985 Mexico City earthquake and the World Trade Center attack of 2001. More modern medical afflictions include alcoholism and cancer. Traditional votive painting artists, called “retableros” (from the word “retablo”) still exist. One notable artist is Alfredo Vilchis in Mexico City. His work is considered to be an important testament to life in the 20th century, but he still paints on metal sheets. Another artist is Jose Lopez. Today he is over sixty years old and is missing one leg. He began painting when he had a cancerous tumor in that leg and prayed to the Virgin of Juquila in Oaxaca to spare his life. Part of his ex voto is to paint for others. Petitioners have include ordinary people as well as sports figures and priests. Other well known retableros in Mexico of the past two centuries include Vicente Barajas and Hermeneguildo Bustos. Structure and subject matter Although votive paintings have changed in styles and materials used, certain characteristics have remained the same up to the present day. The metal sheet or other canvas is laid horizontally. Most of the space is taken up with one or more scenes narrating the event, with an image of the saint or other figure floating at the top. At the bottom, a line separates the depiction from a written testimony below. The miraculous event can be shown in one or more scenes. When an illness is recounted, the stricken one often is shown surrounded by his or her family who pray for recovery. In the more dramatic scenes, events surrounding an accident are recounted where